Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to wind turbine blade abnormalities and, more particularly, to determining when physical characteristics of a blade deviate from a predetermined characterization of the blade.
Description of the Related Art
Wind turbines are often situated in remote areas to take advantage of prevalent weather patterns in the area. In these remote areas, the wind turbines are often exposed to extreme environmental conditions. These extreme environmental conditions include, but are not limited to, extreme temperatures, rain, snow, ice, blowing debris, and rough seas. The environmental conditions, as well as aging, may cause structural failures in the turbine's blades—e.g., cracking, portions of the blade breaking off, or deforming.
To prevent catastrophic failure that would prevent the turbine from being able to operate (e.g., the blade detaching and damaging other portions of the wind turbine), a failure detection system may be used. If the detection system identifies a structural failure, the operation mode of the turbine may be changed to prevent the catastrophic failure. For example, the turbine may be removed from the utility grid until a cracked blade is fixed or replaced.